Federal court hears challenge to North Carolina voting restrictions News
Federal court hears challenge to North Carolina voting restrictions

The US District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina [official website] on Monday began hearing a challenge complaint, PDF; Advancement Project materials] to a North Carolina law [HB 589 materials] limiting early voting and same-day voter registration. The lawsuit was brought by the US Department of Justice and the North Carolina chapter of the NAACP [advocacy website], which argue it violates the Voting Rights Act [DOJ backgrounder] as well as the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments [texts] because it disproportionately disenfranchises minority voters. Proponents of the law say it cuts down [Reuters report] on voter fraud.

The US Supreme Court declined to hear the case [JURIST report] in April. In March, a North Carolina state judge allowed a separate lawsuit [JURIST report] regarding voter ID requirements of the same law to go forward. Voting rights [JURIST backgrounder] remain a controversial issue in much of the US.